


Hybrids of Ninjago

by ninja_loser



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hybrids, Multi, On Hiatus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-05-12 07:52:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19224871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninja_loser/pseuds/ninja_loser
Summary: The ninja are hybrids, half human half animal, brought together by Sensei Wu to defeat the Serpentine.They are also hated by all of Ninjago, making their jobs and their lives very difficult.(on hiatus & getting a revamp)





	1. The Meeting

The pair, sensei and student, climbed the mountain together in a sombre silence. The student shifted his wings under the heavy jacket, it was uncomfortable but he didn’t feel quite safe enough to let them be free. At the top of the mountain, sat a monastery, its white and red walls a light pink in the fading sun. The sensei pushed open the large wooden doors, revealing an empty stone courtyard. “Welcome home,” he said to his student, turning to look at the bird hybrid with a soft smile. He waited until his student had entered the monastery before closing the large gates, “It is safe now Zane, I promise,” Sensei Wu said quietly, patiently waiting for his student to respond.  
Slowly, Zane shrugged off his heavy jacket, revealing large white wings spotted with brown. He kept them pulled in close to his body as he folded the jacket over his arms, icy blue eyes still scanning the monastery for any possible danger.  
“Allow me to show you to your room,” Sensei Wu said, keeping his voice low as to not startle his student. He walked across the courtyard and entered the monastery, pausing to allow Zane to catch up and follow. Together, they walked through the monastery, Wu pointing out the different rooms including the kitchen, bathrooms, dining area and sitting rooms. He led Zane to a hall with several rooms, hanging on one door was a snowflake. He opened this door and gestured for Zane to enter.  
The inside of the room was sparse, only a small bed, a dresser and a table were inside. The room did have a large window that took up nearly an entire wall, large enough for Zane to be able to climb out of, with a beautiful view of the skies. “Thank you Sensei,” Zane replied almost inaudibly.  
Sensei Wu smiled in response, “I will call you for dinner, otherwise please make yourself comfortable.” 

“Welcome,” Wu's voice said, drifting inside from the courtyard. A deeper voice mumbled a response but Zane couldn't make out the words from where he was standing in the hall. Sighing, he pulled his jacket tightly over his wings and headed towards the door. Wu had assured him the new recruit would be friendly but Zane had decided to play it safe, including using his old belt to keep his wings in place. He faltered at the door, his heart hammering in his chest.  
“So when do we start?” A new voice asked, from the other side of the door. “I'd love to get back at those snakes.”  
“You are, are you?” Wu asked, his voice light and almost taunting, a tone Zane was very familiar with by now. “Well perhaps your new roommate can show you some tricks after you meet.”  
Zane glanced over his shoulder, he wasn't too far from the rooms, a quick flick of the belt and shrug of the jacket and he'd be flying free. Zane turned to face the door and instead was staring into a tall boy, close to his own age, with a startled expression on his face. “Ah!” Zane cried as he jumped back, banging the wall with his shoulder. He rubbed his shoulder, looking down to hide the blush creeping across his face. “Sorry,” he said quietly, “I did not mean to startle you.”  
The other boy nodded, though Zane was still looking at the floor. “Um, I’m Cole,” he replied. He glanced over at Wu, who nodded encouragingly. He shuffled closer to Zane, “I’m kind of hungry,” he began carefully, averting his eyes to avoid pressuring the other teen, “Can you show me the kitchen?”  
Zane took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded. He turned away from Cole and walked down the hall, heading towards the kitchen. Wu nodded again at Cole as the teen looked awkwardly towards him, “I’ll leave you both to it then,” the old sensei said, before heading back outside into the courtyard. Cole watched him go, then turned back to Zane to see him waiting at a corner. “Sorry,” Cole said as he hurried towards the other teen.  
When Cole entered the kitchen, Zane was already pulling various boxes from the cupboards. He took the time to look around the kitchen, it was rather large and connected to a dining room through an archway. Zane coughed to get his attention and handed him a plate with various snacks on it, immediately averting his eyes and pulling is jacket in closer. “Uh, you don’t need to wear that around me,” Cole said, he reached up with a free hand and pulled off the hoodie he’d been wearing, revealing small bear ears, “What’s your name?”  
Zane took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. “I’m Zane,” he whispered. “Let me show you around.”

“Do you think Sensei will be back soon?” Cole asked, shovelling another mouthful of cake into his mouth. He was wearing a loose hoodie and baggy pants in dark colours to hide the chunks of cake he missed.  
Zane shrugged, taking another bite of his slice, “It has been two days, and that’s how long he said he’d be.” His wings were tucked in close, but free of the jacket. “You have crumbs all over you.”  
Cole stared down at his hoodie, “Whoops.” He jabbed his fork into the large crumbs and plopped them into his mouth. “Are you going to wear your jacket?” he asked. It had taken Zane a few days before he felt comfortable moving around with his wings out, and Cole and been ecstatic to see that the other boy finally trusted him enough.  
“Are you going to wear your hoodie?” Zane retorted, pulling his wings in even further. The two boys looked away, sitting in silence. Although they had been living together for a few weeks, they still weren’t completely comfortable with each other.  
There was a loud bang of a door bursting open, “Wow, this place is amazing!” A loud voice called from outside, “Look at the views, those clouds! This is nothing like home.”  
Both boys stood quickly, sharing panicked glances. Cole quickly brushed the crumbs off his clothes, much to Zane’s distaste, and left his dish near the sink. Zane placed his dish next to Cole’s and grabbed his jacket he’d left on the chair. Sighing, he pulled the jacket on and wrapped it tightly over himself, not bothering to belt up his wings. They were sure the new student Sensei Wu was bringing was another hybrid but he still wanted to be safe. He followed Cole towards the courtyard, the loud voice of their new roommate easy to hear.  
Wu was the first to notice them exit the monastery, “Ah, hello Zane, Cole,” both boys nodded in response.  
The new student turned to look at them, he was much shorter than them, with curly auburn hair and freckles across his face. His eyes were blue but not an icy blue like Zane’s, instead they were a darker, almost electric blue. “I’m Jay!” He said excitedly, triangle ears turned towards them, poking out of his curly hair. “I’m from the Sea of Sands, we don’t have mountains like this one there! I think I had to stop at least a dozen times climbing up here, did you?”  
Zane pulled his jacket even tighter in while Cole just stared, looking uncomfortable. Jay was so loud, exuberant, and nothing like they were used to. When they didn’t answer, Jay just continued talking, about his life in the Sea of Sands, his parents who took care of him, his hobbies. The taller boys just shared an awkward glance, Zane looked pleadingly towards Wu for support, hoping their sensei could do something to help them. Wu smiled and patted Jay’s shoulder, “I’m sure the boys would love to hear more, but first let me show you around the monastery and to your room. We can all talk more at dinner.” Wu nodded and both Zane and Cole before leading Jay into the monastery.  
“He’s so loud,” Cole remarked, after the sound of Jay’s voice had faded deep into the monastery.  
Zane nodded in response. He glanced at Cole, who had left his hood down for their meeting, and decided to take his own jacket off. “What, what do you want for dinner?” Zane asked, leading the way to the kitchen.  
Cole hummed, following Zane, “What about noodles?”  
The pair cooked in silence, well, Zane cooked while Cole passed ingredients and set up the table for four. The noodles were just about ready as Wu and Jay entered the kitchen, “And here, of course, is the kitchen,” Sensei Wu was explaining, “Through that arch is the dining where we will be eating noodles it seems.”  
Zane nodded in response, turning around to face them with the pot of noodles. He poured them into bowls and Cole handed them to the pair, before taking one for himself and Zane. He led the way into the dining and placed the bowls down, before sitting in one of the seats. Sensei Wu and Jay followed suit. “Wow, your wings are really pretty,” Jay remarked as Zane entered the dining room. A blush spread across his cheeks, his wings curling in around his face. Jay blushed at the reaction, “Ah, I mean, they’re nice. Um thanks for cooking,” he added weakly.  
Zane tried to smile, and hurried to his seat, hiding his face with his wings. “Thank you,” he added quietly.  
The four tucked into their meal, offering Zane, and Cole, several compliments on the taste of the noodles. Jay glanced over at Wu, and took a deep breath, “I’m, sorry about earlier,” he began, “I didn’t mean to, uh, scare you by being so loud.” He hurried shoved more noodles into his mouth to avoid talking further.  
Wu looked over at the other boys and nodded, encouraging them to respond. Cole cleared his throat and offered Jay a smile, “Thanks,” he replied, he glanced over at Zane and turned back to Jay, “Sorry if we were rude earlier, we were a bit surprised.”  
“Sorry,” Zane added, staring into his bowl of noodles.  
Jay laughed, surprising them all, “It’s cool,” he said with a large grin. He launched into a description of his home, being careful to watch his volume, and his parents. Both Cole and Zane listening carefully, finding themselves enjoying Jay’s story more and more while Wu watched on with a smile. 

Jay swung the nunchucks around, narrowly missing striking his own face. “Ha!” He cried, leaping forward to strike his sparring partner, Cole. The taller teen easily dodged the strike, using his staff to parry the chucks and counter-strike. They continued to trade strikes, blocking and parrying, practising their moves. “Okay, okay,” Cole panted, “Now check this out!” He leapt forward, swinging his staff in wide circles. Jay jumped backwards, spinning his weapons in an attempt to avoid the flurry of strikes Cole was giving. Cole landed strong and swiped past the nunchucks, stopping his swing just short of Jay's neck.  
Jay pushed the staff away, “Okay, that was cool,” he conceded. “But I bet it'd look cooler with chucks.” His tail twitched from where it was wound around his leg, to be out of the way of the fighting. He turned to look at the monastery, staring up at the bird hybrid sitting on the roof. “Hey Zane, what do ya think? Chucks are better right?”  
The bird looked up from his journal and looked down at the pair. “Sorry Jay, I was not watching. Shurikens are still the best though,” he added with a small grin.  
Jay heard Cole snicker behind him. “What are you writing anyway, don't you want a turn sparring?”  
Zane shrugged, “I am writing last night's dinner recipe and no, I do not.” He smiled at the pair and return to his book. He was nearly finished writing up the recipe and was ready to start on his journal. With Wu gone for a few days, and little training, he had plenty of time to catch up on his journalling.  
The pair decided to leave Zane to his writing and continued to spar, this time without their weapons. Although Cole was much stronger than Jay, the cat was quick and easily dodged Cole heavy strikes.  
“So this is the place huh?” An unknown voice asked, coming from outside the monastery gates.  
Cole froze and something clattered behind them, leading Jay to finally get a strike straight into the teen's stomach. “Ah sorry!” Jay cried, fumbling over his words.  
The bear held up a hand to stop Jay's fussing, “I'm fine Jay, go get the gate,” he replied.  
“Hello, I'm Jay!” The cat said excitedly, his tail freely swinging behind him. Wu smiled back and stepped aside to let two others in. The first was a few years younger than the others, with short black hair and soft orange fox ears poking through. Her eyes, a bright hazel colour, were wide with awe. Behind her was a teenage boy, very clearly her brother, with spiky brown hair and fiery brown eyes. His arms were folded and he was scowling at Jay. “Erm, what are your names?” Jay asked tentatively, his tail twitching anxiously.  
“I'm Nya!” The younger of the pair finally answered, sticking her hand out. “And this is Kai,” she added, shaking Jay's hand.  
“Well I'm Jay,” he paused, an embarrassed blush crawling across his face, “Uh, I mean this is Cole and Zane,” he turned to point at them, only then realising that Zane was nowhere to be seen, “Erm, I mean this is Cole,” he amended, “Zane is inside somewhere, let me show you around!”  
The trio walked into the monastery. As they walked passed Cole, Kai bristled, little spines poking through his spiky hair. The older teen turned and headed towards Wu while the trio disappeared into the monastery.  
“And here is where we hang out,” Jay explained, gesturing to expansive room filled with books, games and comfortable seats. “By the way, I like your tail,” he added, nearly whispering. “Oh and here's the kitchen!” Jay continued louder, “Zane makes the best meals, he'll be around here somewhere.”  
They continued with the tour until finally reaching the rooms. “Erm, here are our rooms,” he explained, “This is mine, that's Cole's, that one is Zane's and around the corner is Sensei Wu's.” Jay pointed to each door as he spoke, each embellished with a different symbol, a lightning bolt, a black diamond shaped rock and a snowflake. The three doors that were left were embellished with a flame, a green sphere and a droplet of water.  
“So, which one is ours?” Kai asked gruffly, glaring at the doors.  
“Um,” Jay eyed the doors, glancing back and forth between the siblings and the rooms. “I'll have to ask Wu, he might still be in the courtyard.”  
“Whatever, let's go Nya,” Kai turned on his heel and walked off. Nya gave a short wave to Jay before following to find Wu.  
Jay sighed, his ears drooping, “Way to go,” he muttered to himself. The cat knocked on the door, “Zane, are you okay?” After no response, he twisted the knob to find it unlocked and stepped quietly into the room. He was greeted with large wings stretched out. Zane was sitting on the window that took up nearly an entire wall, something Jay was still a little jealous of. “Um, Zane, mind if I join you?” Jay asked loudly, hoping to get the bird's attention. The wings shifted, closing tightly against Zane's back.  
“Sorry for flying off,” Zane explained, turning to face Jay. “I-”  
“It's okay Zane,” Jay interrupted, “Ready to meet the newbies? Nya's pretty nice and Kai is, um, yeah.”  
The bird sighed, drawing his wings in close and reaching for his jacket.  
“You don't have to wear that you know,” Jay mumbled, his tail twitching, “I mean, we're all chill and I'm sure they will be too. And, if they're mean well, we'll have your back, okay?”  
Zane turned to Jay, a thoughtful expression on his face. He didn't reply, but left his room without the jacket. Jay followed him with large smile.  
A frustrated shout came from the living area. “I don't want to be in this stupid place but I'm here now so get over it!”  
“It wouldn't be much effort to throw you off the mountain!” That was Cole.  
“Guys please stop!”  
Zane and Jay entered the room to see Cole and Kai glaring at each other, both with fists curled at their sides. Nya stood in between them looking both nervous and frustrated.  
Before either could speak, Wu entered the room. “ENOUGH!” He shouted, “You all are a team now, brought together because each of you have something inside of you, something special.” Wu paused, staring accusingly at each hybrid, “Together, and only together, will you be able to defeat the Serpentine!”  
Each hybrid looked away from their sensei's scrutinising stare. “Yes, Sensei,” Zane, Cole and Jay replied in unison.  
“Yes, Sensei,” Nya and a reluctant Kai added.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First ever time posting a fic! I hope you guys like it. This story is inspired by spinning-ninjas (on tumblr) Hybrid AU.


	2. Into the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are what hybrids the ninja are:  
> Zane: Falcon  
> Cole: Bear  
> Jay: Cat  
> Kai: Porcupine  
> Nya: Fox  
> Wu: Dragon
> 
> Thank you all for reading!

Jay stood at the entrance to the living room, twisting his tail in his hands. Kai and Cole were screaming at each other, again. He was hoping that Nya would show up soon, she often had the best luck calming Kai down but she was out with Sensei Wu, shopping. If Zane was there, he could stop the fighting but he’d heard wings from his room and knew that the bird had taken flight, as he usually does when there’s yelling. Something crashed from inside the room and Jay sighed, his ears dropping, he couldn’t let this go on.

“HEY!” He yelled, slamming open the door and entering the room, his tail high and poofed up behind him. “What is going on?”

Both Kai and Cole dropped what they were holding and turned their glares to Jay. At least they stopped screaming, Jay thought to himself in what he assumed would be his last thought. “This thick-headed bear won’t leave me alone!” Kai answered angrily, pointing an accusing finger towards Cole.

“You selfish spiny brat!” Cole replied, stepping closer and smacking Kai’s hand away. “We all live here! You can’t just claim this room as yours just because you want to play some stupid video games!”

Kai turned away from Jay, his quills shivering, making his hair sway like it was windy. “Take your own advice!” He screamed back, “Just because you lived here first doesn’t mean you have first dibs!”

Jay stared in silence, quickly getting over his shock that Kai had responded, instead of biting his head off. “Hey, hey wait!” Jay cried in vain, unable to be heard over their renewed yelling. “Guys, guys just stop! Stop!” He tried again. His feet refused to move closer, his ears pinned down and his tail as high and fluffy as it could get.

The door burst open again, a wooden staff slamming onto the ground. “What on earth is going on here?”

Jay turned and leapt into the air, tripping over the couch and landing sprawled out between Kai and Cole, who had paused their yelling to turn at the new arrival. They immediately stared at the ground, their shoulders hunching over in shame.

“Well?” Sensei Wu asked again, his voice lower but full of fury. Jay, finding his legs working again, scurried away from between the pair and hurried towards the door. Sensei Wu blocked the doorway, his eyes filled with fury. Nya stood behind him, her expression disappointed.

“You are a team!” Sensei Wu continued when neither boy would respond, “This childish behaviour must stop!” He walked into the room and smacked Kai and Cole lightly with his staff, “Are one of you going to tell me what started your argument this time?”

Cole bowed his head, “I’m sorry, Sensei. I, wanted the room but Kai wouldn’t leave when I wanted and we fought. It was a mistake and I’m sorry.”

Kai glared at the ground, “I just wanted to be alone,” he muttered, “Sorry.”

Their sensei sighed, “The reason why I left was to gather supplies for a trip,” he explained, “You five are going into the forests below the monastery for a team building trip. You will work together, build trust and come home in one week, no sooner, am I clear?” His expression softened, “It is time to put aside your differences and become the great team I know you can be.” He turned and left the room, “Oh, and one of you let Zane know about the trip, he should be back soon,” Sensei Wu added before closing the door behind him.

Nya immediately ran up to her brother and slapped him in his arm, “Are you kidding me? I’m gone how long and you start a fight?” She chastised in a hushed, angry voice. “I know you didn’t want to come here but seriously, can’t you at least try, for me?”

He pulled her into a hug in response, ignoring her futile attempts to pull away. “I’m sorry, Nya,” he replied quietly, “I promise I’ll try harder, okay?” Kai pulled away, running a hand over his hair to smooth his quills, “So, you got supplies?”

The fox smiled, her tail swinging behind her, “Oh yes! They’re in the training yard, we got food and a couple of tents and some extra clothes and some other camping gear,” she explained, leading the way.  
Cole grabbed Jay’s shoulder before he could follow the siblings out. “Look, Jay, I’m sorry,” he said, defeated. His large eyes looked sad, staring at the ground. “He just, riles me up and I’m sorry you had to get involved.”

“Heh,” Jay replied, “It’s okay, really, you’re both just hard-headed, right?”

The bear gave a big sigh, “I can see your tail Jay, I know we scared you. And I’m sorry.” He let go of the smaller boy and left the room, heading towards the training yard. Jay grabbed his tail and tried to smooth it out, thankful that his fur was no longer puffy. He hated that his emotions were so easy to read, not like Cole who is always so stoic, and Kai who hides himself behind a scowl. Even Zane was better had hiding his feelings, though sometimes his wings gave him away. At least Nya wasn’t that great at hiding her emotions, it made him feel better. He quickly hurried after Cole, not wanting to be left with the worst supplies.  
He hurried out into the training yard, where the other hybrids, including Zane, were packing the supplies. “Oh wow, is that enough to last us a week?” He asked, surprised at the small amount of food in front of him.

Zane straightened up, stretching his wings out, “Yes, Jay, we will be fine,” he explained, his expression as neutral as ever, “The forest has plenty of fresh water creeks and several places where we can find food. The place where we will be camping has an excellent supply within very close proximity.”

“Oh, cool,” Jay replied. He perked up almost immediately, having just processed what Zane actually said, “Wait, it does? Have you been in there? What’s it like?” He began listing off several questions for Zane, all about the trees, creatures and other plants they might find in there. “It’s just, I’ve never even seen a forest like this before, not until Wu first brought me here, the desert doesn’t really have enough water for a place like this,” he kept rambling on.

The bird glanced at the frustrated expressions of the others, and gently guided a rambling Jay inside, easily answering his questions. He did abandon the cat to deal with Kai and Cole’s fight, so in his mind, he owed his younger friend.

 

They set off the next morning, just as the sun was rising over the peaks. Zane had elected to lead the way, as he was the only one who knew their camping spot. The bird was currently in the skies, soaring above the forest, waiting until they reached the base of the mountain. Cole had decided to carry both his and Zane’s pack, as well as their supply of food. Kai was certain he was just showing off his strength, but after last night’s fiasco he decided to keep quiet. Jay only had his pack, and was scampering down the mountain as fast as he could, eager to get to the forest. They could barely see him now, though his excited yammering was as clear as day. Nya and Kai were behind Cole, and carrying a tent each, much to Kai’s dislike. He was certain if Cole had just let Zane carry his own pack, then he or Nya wouldn’t need to carry a tent but he was also certain that if he said anything, both Cole and Nya would bite his head off.

It took them just over half a day to reach the base of the mountain, as the siblings had kept stopping to readjust their packs and tents. Jay and Zane were waiting for them, Jay chatting away about his desert life and how different it was to a quiet Zane. They stopped to eat lunch, Kai letting out a sigh as he watched the others dig into their meat-filled meals. He didn’t entirely mind, but part of his wished there was another herbivore on the team.

After they finished their small meals, the team of hybrids headed out. Zane had explained that the forest was dense and hunters rarely visited, so they didn’t need to cover up. Though he had his large jacket tied around his waist, just in case. As soon as they started walking into the forest, Jay climbed the trees and leapt from branch to branch, his laughter easy to hear from the ground. Zane hurried forwards, hoping to stay ahead of Jay so the cat wouldn’t get lost. Cole glanced at the siblings, then followed, leaving them to take up the rear. Neither sibling minded, happy to follow behind and take in the sights and smells of the forest.

At least, for a while Kai was happy. It didn’t take long for the wonder of the forest to wear off. The porcupine grumbled, gripping is pack tightly, as the team trudged through the forest. Jay’s enthusiasm was never-ending, his happy calling still as clear and consistent as ever. Nya had a huge smile on her face, tail swinging happily behind her and ears twisting towards every noise. He didn’t really understand, they had trees in their old village but they never had seen so many clumped together like this before. He growled, muttering under his breath, Jay’s constant chatter starting to get to him.  
“Oh lighten up Kai,” Nya called, grinning. “A camping trip with everyone, this’ll be so much fun!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied, rolling his eyes. Although Nya was loving living at the monastery, Kai was not a fan. The monastery was nice and all, but he wanted to be back home, with the villages and his parents’ shop. Not on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by jungle. Kai’s face slammed into a branch, causing Nya to giggle beside him. “Oh shut up,” he muttered angrily, rubbing his cheek. “How much longer till we’re there?” He called out to Zane, who was leading them through the jungle.

The bird glanced over his shoulder, “The clearing is another ten minutes’ walk from here,” he replied, “But it is worth it, there is a beautiful lake and-”

Cole elbowed the bird, a mischievous grin on his face, “Hey, don’t spoil it,” he cut off, “Its beauty cannot be described.”

“Well, I’m sure I could adequately describe it,” Zane replied. He caught sight of Cole’s exasperated expression and nodded, remembering their discussions on being less serious, “Right, I’ll just wait then,” he conceded. Zane turned and walked on, his large, white wings easy to spot in the brown and green forest. Cole followed directly behind, easily carrying their packs and their supplies. His round ears twitched at the sounds of Jay climbing and leaping through the trees above them. The cat had never left his home in desert, and had been absolutely ecstatic to learn they were going camping in the jungle. He couldn’t help the smile that had formed on his face, Jay’s enthusiasm was infectious. “I can take my bag if it’s too much for you,” Zane said, pulling Cole from his thoughts.

The bear shook his head, “It’s fine, I know how uncomfortable you get with these bags. We should really find something that you do like,” he mused.

Zane pulled his wings in, they often caused so much trouble, and they kept getting bigger. He wished they’d stop growing, it was becoming harder and harder to keep them flat with just his jacket. As he had a regular human face, he would often accompany Wu on supply runs but his wings were becoming more difficult to pin down to make him look normal.

“Hey,” Cole said softly, “Stop that, okay? You are not a bother, you look fine with your disguise, okay? I swear,” he offered Zane a small smile. “Do you think if we ran, Nya would run too?”  
Zane snorted, “What about Kai?” he asked.

“What about him?” Cole replied, grinning. “Come on, I want to get there already!”

Zane laughed, “Go on then, just keep walking straight, then follow the red flower vines and you’ll get to the clearing.” The bird smiled at Cole’s suspicious expression, “If you get lost, just call out and we’ll come find you. I promise.” His voice turned serious at the last words.

The bear studied Zane carefully, before nodding. “Alright, but I’ll hold you to that promise.” He took off, jogging easily while holding their supplies. Above him, Jay was laughing. The cat landed in front of him and raced off, following Zane’s directions. Cole glanced back at Zane, before laughing and following the cat.

“Are they going to get lost?” A sullen voice asked Zane.

He turned to see Kai and Nya, each watching the pair disappear into the trees. “No, Kai, they won’t. Or at least, I hope not.” He glanced back at them, “If you would like, we can take the short cut and beat them there.”

That brought a small smile out of Kai, “Seriously?”

“Yes!” Nya cried, “Oh please Zane, can we?”

“Follow me,” he replied, turning to the left and hurrying through the thick undergrowth. Maybe, just maybe, they’d make a good team after all. He thought to himself.


	3. The First Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update!! I've been sick and writing is hard but anyway, I hope you like it!

The sun was starting to set below the mountains when the trio arrived, giving the clearing a warm, golden glow. The trees ringed the clearing, almost like a solid wall. Though small, there was still plenty of empty space for flowers to bloom, several beautiful pastel flowers swayed gently in the breeze. Also in the clearing was a beautiful lake, with several boulders and large rocks near its edge. Nya immediately ran into the clearing, laughing. She slid her pack off her back and immediately started running around the clearing, taking in its wonder. Kai, too was surprised at the clearing. He hadn’t expected something like this to be in the middle of a forest. “Do all forests have these?” He asked, dropping his pack next to Nya’s.

Zane laughed, “No, not all,” he replied. “Though I have not been to very many forests, have you?” He asked after a long pause.

Kai shrugged in response, “I’ve never left my village, well, until coming here,” he replied. Kai ran a hand through his hair, smoothing down his quills. “Uh, it doesn’t look like the others are here yet.”

The bird nodded, “No, they should arrive shortly, if not I will go and look.” He knelt down next to their packs and pulled out the tents, “For now, let’s set up.”

Together, they pitched the two tents. The tents were large enough to fit at least two, close to three, people and made of a sturdy material, strong enough to last a week in the forest. After the tents were set up, the boys did their best setting out the supplies they had, though Cole had most of it, they did set up the siblings’ packs in one of the tents. “You and Nya are welcome to your own tent,” Zane explained, carrying Nya’s pack while Kai carried his own.

“Are you sure,” Kai asked, he turned to see his sister sitting on a rock, kicking her legs into the lake, “I mean, will the three of you fit in one tent?”

The bird shrugged, “I do not mind sleeping outside, but I do not want either of you to feel uncomfortable, so we will be fine.” He left the tent and scanned the tree line, searching for Cole and Jay. The red flowered vines curled around some trees, but Cole or Jay did not walk through them. He closed his eyes and focused, listening out for Jay. Zane frowned, he was sure he could hear Jay somewhere, though he couldn’t figure out what he was saying.

“Where are the others?” Nya asked. The fox was holding her shoes, having thoroughly wet her feet in the lake, “Surely we’d be able to hear Jay by now, right?”

Kai moved next to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, “You’re sure there aren’t any hunters around, right?” he said, his voice low.

Zane’s wings shifted, pulling in tightly. He’d flown over these trees so many times, including the day before their trip, hunters couldn’t have shown up so soon. “I, I am sure they are just lost,” he replied, “You two stay here, I will go and look for them.” Zane straightened and walked towards the flower vine, if he followed it, he’d find them eventually.

“Good idea.”

The siblings screamed, both gripping each other tightly as they jumped and twisted around. Zane whipped around, wings spread out ready to attack. Cole and Jay were standing next to the siblings, the latter laughing his head off while the former stood there, grinning. “Let us know when you find them,” Cole added.

Kai shoved the bear, his promise to Nya forgotten. In his surprise, he stumbled backwards and tripped over Jay, both falling to the ground. “You idiots!” Kai shouted, “We were actually worried for you and you, you idiots decided to prank us instead? Jerks!”

Nya put a gentle arm around his shoulder, “It’s okay,” she whispered, “It was just a joke, they didn’t know.”  Nya sent a fiery glare to the pair before guiding Kai into their tent, which now had quills poking out of it, thanks to the scare.

“Shit, I didn’t mean,” Cole said, struggling to find the right words. He lumbered over to Zane, holding his hands up to try and relax him, “I’m sorry, we saw you already here and thought we’d surprise you.”

The bird shuddered, relaxing his stance and walking over to Cole and Jay, “That you did,” he replied, still feeling a little angry. “They, we, thought you might’ve been caught by hunters. And I’m sure you can imagine how that would feel,” he added, glaring at the pair. He sighed, “I am going to check our surroundings, you are going to set up dinner for tonight.” Zane turned away, stretching out his wings to take flight. “Try not to kill each other,” he added, before taking off into the darkening sky.

“Can you start a fire Jay?” Cole asked, his eyes tracking Zane in the sky.

Jay started to fiddle with his tail, “Uh, yeah, I can start a fire.” He glanced over at the tent, and hurried towards the trees. His tail twitched, instinctively curling around his leg as he picked up sticks he thought would go nicely for the fire. Jay returned to their campsite, a large pile of sticks and leaves in his arms. His ears twitched at Cole, who was pulling out food and supplies for their dinner. The cat stretched out and worked on the fire, finding a good spot to place the leaves and sticks, leaving some aside for later. He picked out the two nicest looking twigs and started rubbing them together. Sparks flew from the sticks and landed on the leaves, setting them on fire with a soft crackle. “Yes!” Jay exclaimed, pumping his fist. He glanced over at Cole, pulling his tail into his hands and attempting to hide his face, “Ah, I mean I got it,” he added, turning his attention back to bring the small fire to life. “Just in time too,” he joked, looking up at the sky, “It’s finally night time.”

Once the fire was going strong, Cole gently moved Jay aside and put a pot full of pre-prepared ingredients. Slowly, he stirred the meal, heating it through. The smaller hybrid knelt next to Cole, peering over his shoulders. “It’s a soup, Jay,” Cole sighed, “Something simple. It’ll be done soon.”

Jay nodded, “Right, thanks,” he replied, leaning back. His eyes drifted to the tent Kai and Nya were in. He hoped they would come out to eat, but he decided to let someone else handle it. No doubt Zane would make them eat something when he got back. “Uh, Cole,” Jay started, already fiddling with his tail. “About earlier…”

The bear glanced down at the pot, then put on the lid and turned to face Jay, “What about it?” He asked, his arms folded.

The cat kept glancing towards the tent, afraid that Kai or Nya might hear him. “Zane said that there were no hunters around here, right?”

Cole nodded, “What’s your point?”

“Well, why would they think we’d been caught by hunters?” Jay finally asked, “Zane wouldn’t lie about hunters, right? And he was just flying around here yesterday, so obviously there’s no hunters, right?”

“Hunters are everywhere Jay,” Cole replied, his voice deadly serious. “Just because Zane didn’t see any, doesn’t mean they aren’t here. We can never know for sure, not in a place like this,” he turned away from Jay, returning to the pot, “When hybrids go missing, it’s rarely by choice.”

A loud thump and wind grabbed their attention, Cole was already leaping up into a battle stance while Jay’s ears were pointed towards the sound. Zane ruffled his wings and pulled them in, offering the pair an apologetic smile. “Ah, thank you for starting dinner,” Zane said, walking towards the fire. “You used the soup mix?”

The bear nodded, his nose twitching as the smell wafted around their campsite, “How was your flight?”

Zane lifted the lid of the pot and looked inside, a happy smile on his face. “It was, pleasant,” he replied, replacing the lid. He surveyed the campsite, noticing the missing siblings. “I believe it’s nearly ready, would you like to serve it up?”

“Yeah, sure,” Cole answered. He reached in and grabbed their bowls, heading over to the pot so he can serve the soup. Jay hovered near his shoulder, his tail swaying and ears pointed forwards. While Cole served their dinner, Zane stood next to the tents, his shadow cast over them from the fire. “It’s time to eat,” the bird said to the tent, or rather its occupants. “You both need to eat.”

The flap pulled back and Nya left, followed by Kai. “You don’t have to glare,” Kai grumbled to Zane, “We were gonna eat.”

Zane ran a hand through his hair, “We did quite a bit of walking today, and it’s important to stay healthy,” he explained. The bird froze at Kai’s glare, “But, ah, I will try,” he added, offering a placating smile.

He followed the siblings to the fire, sitting in between Nya and Cole. The bear was handing around bowls full of soup with a hungry expression. “We're sorry about earlier,” Cole said as he passed a bowl to Nya and Kai, “I didn't think what us missing would mean,” He smirked before continuing, “Although, I didn't know you could scream that high Kai.”

“Yeah,” Jay piped up, “Zane said there were no hunters so we didn't think you'd worry that much.” 

Nya took a spoonful of the soup, her tail flicking out behind her. “Thank you for apologising, I suppose we did overreact a little, right Kai?” She nudged her brother with a stern expression.

The porcupine sighed, “Yeah, I shouldn't have pushed you, sorry,” he muttered, mostly into his soup. To avoid talking any further, he started eating more and more, barely pausing between mouthfuls. The others followed suit, allowing themselves to relax under the night sky.

It was going to be a long week.


End file.
